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BLUE MEANIES POST PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED DEMOS

Posted by Scott Heisel on 29-Aug-06 @ 02:21 PM

Influential Chicago ska/punk act Blue Meanies have posted four previously unreleased demos online. The songs -- "Moving Through The City," "Perverted And Sick," "Kill All Your Heroes" and Champin' At The Bit" -- are all outtakes from The Post Wave sessions, the last album the band recorded in 2000 before breaking up. You can stream all four songs at the band's MySpace page.

The recently reunited septet are scheduled to perform at Chicago's Riot Fest Nov. 5 alongside Naked Raygun, Bollweevils and more (details).

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SPARTA RELEASE TRAILER FOR SHORT FILM

Posted by Scott Heisel on 29-Aug-06 @ 01:44 PM

El Paso, Texas-based post-hardcore band Sparta have released a trailer for Eme Nakia, a short film created by drummer Tony Hajjar, which AP first reported on in January. Eme Nakia is a 16-minute film which will be included in a special edition of the band's new album, Threes, available Oct. 24 on Hollywood (details). The word "Eme" means "Mother" in Arabic, and Nakia was the name of Hajjar's mother. The film was written and produced by Joe Renteria, directed by Chris Holmes amd co-produced by Dean Mounir.

The film grew out of a desire for the band to make a movie while recording their third album. Frontman Jim Ward suggested telling the story of Hajjar's remarkable personal history: He was born in Beirut, Lebanon and at the age of 5, along with his family, fled his country during the Lebanese civil war of 1975-1990.

You can view the trailer in Windows Media (lo/hi), Real Video (lo/hi) or QuickTime (lo/hi). You can read a Q&A; with Hajjar about the project below.

When did you first get the idea for this film?
In April of 2005, when we began plotting this album, I called up Jim [Ward, lead singer of Sparta], and suggested that we do a film as we recorded our next album. As we discussed ideas, Jim noted that the most interesting film we could make would be my life story and it just snowballed from there. Right after we recorded basic tracks for the album, we shot the film in four days, and completed it not long after final mixes. Jim arranged the music for the film, combining demos from the Threes sessions and his own original score.

When you began this project back then, I'm sure you had no idea another war in Lebanon was on the horizon?
I never imagined that war would happen again so soon in Lebanon. They had already rebuilt the country, spending billions of dollars to do it, and they had finally established a democratic government just a year and a half ago. I can't even express how much emotion I have about it. Politically, I think people need to know that my country is being used as a pawn. Its people have primarily always wanted to be democratic and westernized, but the country has been co-opted by other interests outside of Lebanese control. My country is not full of terrorists and the vast majority of the people in Lebanon don't support Hezbollah.

The film follows a narrative that is far more personal than it is political. Was it hard to tell a story that is so heart-breaking?
Yes. I'm definitely not the type of person to sit there and openly discuss the struggles in my life with someone. The whole process involved a lot of sleepless nights... going over every detail of what might happen or what people were going to say. Every time Joe Renteria (writer/producer) and I went over stories of my childhood it became a quasi therapy session and then I would spend hours fretting that I was exposing too much or that what I was saying was going to hurt somebody in my family.

Was it hard for you personally to view the film and to watch a young actor portray you go through trauma?
I tried my best to look at it as a film at first, but that didn't work. I would pass by the set of my mother's room and my heart would sink immediately. When the actress playing my mother was lying in the bed, I would just go flush. Towards the end of my mother's life, that was how I saw her everyday after school. I was told everyday that I was going to lose my best friend soon. Everybody was trying to prep me for the inevitable. I quickly formed a bond with the young actor who portrayed me. He asked me questions about my life and I hope my answers may have fueled some of the emotion he put into in the role.

The film will be released in a special edition of your new album. Are there other plans for distributing it to theaters?
Yes. We will be showing it at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival in September, and are awaiting word back from several other festivals. It may appear in short runs in a few theaters and we plan to have premieres in El Paso and Los Angeles as well.

Was there anything that you learned about your story by seeing it filmed?
My brother is portrayed in the film as a young adult. I remember talking to him about that and thinking that he was 21 at that time, but he reminded me that he was only 18, and just a kid himself. He ended up assuming all this responsibility for me, my sister... our house. I think I'd been in denial about how young he was when all that went down.

What's been the response so far from people who have seen the movie?
My superstition led me to believe that if I let people watch the film without me in the room, they would like it more. Luckily, having to watch it with the record label execs, that spell was broken.

So far most people seemed to be moved by it and some people even tell me stories of their lives and what they went through. Many people have gone through much more tragedy than me and my family, but hopefully it will allow some to open up and let go of their pain in their past and use it as strength. After my brother viewed it, I asked him what he thought and he just sighed. Then he admitted it was scary to watch it at first, but was ultimately therapeutic. My family will be my biggest critics, so I just await nervously until they all have seen it.

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AIDEN COVER BILLY IDOL, MISFITS, MORE ON NEW EP/DVD

Posted by Scott Heisel on 29-Aug-06 @ 11:05 AM

Seattle goth-punk quintet Aiden have revealed the details of their upcoming EP/DVD. Titled Rain In Blood, the six-song EP features covers of classic songs by Misfits and Billy Idol, as well as having new original songs; the package also includes a DVD containing three music videos, a complete live show shot in Chicago last year, and more. Rain In Hell is out Oct. 31 via Victory Records; the tracklisting is below.

Rain In Hell EP/DVD tracklisting:
1. A Candle Light (Intro)
2. The Suffering
3. We Sleep Forever
4. Die Die My Darling (originally by Misfits)
5. White Wedding (originally by Billy Idol)
6. Silent Eyes
7. (DVD) Live Set From Never Sleep Again Tour in Chicago's House Of Blues
8. (DVD) Knife Blood Nightmare (Video)
9. (DVD) Die Romantic (Video)
10. (DVD) Last Sunrise (Video)
11. (DVD) Extra Bonus Hometown Performances

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AP EXCLUSIVE: STREAM THE NEW STRIKE ANYWHERE ALBUM RIGHT NOW!

Posted by Scott Heisel on 28-Aug-06 @ 04:44 PM

We here at AP HQ are all about giving you the rock, whereever, whenever and however possible. It's in that spirit that we bring you a full-album stream of Dead FM, the new album from Richmond political punks Strike Anywhere, out Sept. 5 on Fat Wreck Chords. Head to the AP Media Page right now to hear some brand new tunes, and if you like what you hear, pick up the album on Sept. 5. Head to FatWreck.com or StrikeAnywhere.org for more information.

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FALL OUT BOY, PANIC! AT THE DISCO ON NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS SOUNDTRACK

Posted by Scott Heisel on 28-Aug-06 @ 04:25 PM

Yes, The Nightmare Before Christmas came out in theaters over 10 years ago. Yes, it already has a soundtrack. No, that's not stopping Pete Wentz or Brendan Urie.

On Oct. 24, Disney will re-release The Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack as a double-disc set in conjunction with the movie returning to select theaters on Oct. 20; among the bands reinterpreting songs from the film are Fiona Apple, Marilyn Manson, She Wants Revenge, Panic! At The Disco, and -- of course -- Fall Out Boy.

"Disney approached our management about us doing a song," Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz told MTV News. "And we're obsessed with that film and Danny Elfman [who wrote the score]. And of course I've got my 'Nightmare' tattoos, so we were like, 'Yes!'"

Fall Out Boy contribute a rendition of "What's This?"; both Decaydance labelmates Panic! At The Disco and shock-rocker Marilyn Manson deliver different versions of "This Is Halloween"; Fiona Apple covers "Sally's Song"; and She Wants Revenge contribute "Oogie Boogie's Song."

"Everyone in Panic loves Danny Elfman, so it's a bonus to be included alongside him," P!ATD frontman Brendan Urie said. "And I spoke to [drummer Andy Hurley] from Fall Out Boy about it, and he said they were on it, so we wanted to get on there too... We all watched [the movie] as kids and we all watch it now, so it's really cool to be a part of it."

The double-disc set will also include demo versions of "Making Christmas" and "Oogie Boogie's Song" by Danny Elfman, the movie's composer.

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MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE TO DEBUT NEW SINGLE LIVE AT VMAS

Posted by Scott Heisel on 28-Aug-06 @ 03:51 PM

New Jersey goth-punks My Chemical Romance have been confirmed for a performance at the 2006 Video Music Awards Preshow, set to take place live from New York's Radio City Music Hall on Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. EST. The band will debut "Welcome To The Black Parade," the first single from their upcoming album, The Black Parade, out Oct. 24 on Reprise (details).

The show itself will begin at 8pm EST; among the performers will be Panic! At The Disco, the All-American Rejects, OK Go, the Raconteurs and the Killers, and among the presenters are Fall Out Boy, 30 Seconds To Mars' Jared Leto, Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, the cast of Jackass: Number Two and Borat. Jack Black will host the event. You can view the complete list of nominees, including AFI, Angels & Airwaves, Green Day and many more, here.

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